Caelditha

Rainy Days and Duke's Daughters

Clair and Taren head out toward the docks. A group of guards block the main path.

Behind the guard’s line, they barely spot a pile of dismembered people. It’s gross, and the guards force them to find an alternate path.

The two head down back alleys until they find themselves having to cross the paths of some never-do-wells playing dice when an older woman appears.

She calls to the two women and claims them as her apprentices to keep them away. They don’t know the woman but head into her house for safety.

The woman’s name is Chuyena, and she’s an herbalist/healer. She offers hospitality to Taren and Claire and lets them know where to get healing in town. She warns the girls to have caution and gives them directions.

Chuyena also makes an herbal remedy in a gris-gris bag and gives it to Claire, saying it can do “more than ward off spirits, or heal a bone faster” that the mix will help.

Claire and Taren make it to the Dockside Varigal house and scare the bejeezus out of the house host. He is dismayed that two Varigals were actually out running errands that weren’t super-urgent.

He also mentions that Lord MacIffyd is going to have some sort of a celebration soon.MEANWHILE

Daphid and Gwen head out from the old church. Gwen lets Daphid know that she is actually noble and asks him to keep it under his veil.

Since they’re already out in the rain they decide to head to the docks. They find the harbor master’s building and are let in.

The Sea Dragon, Mermaid’s Bane, and The Undaunted (Reish) are the three boats available. The daughter of “some duke” has been brought on The Undaunted to be wed to someone in the North.

The Mermaid’s Bane’s captain likes animals.

Sioned, the habor master, is pretty nice and offers to introduce us to captains when we need. There is tea and small talk while Gwen and Daphid catch a few moments to drip-dry.

After that we get to the Varigal House. Taren is winning at chess and Daphid retells a humorous, overwrought version of Claire’s adventures in the Whispering Woods.

We all head back to the Inn. Daphid finds a chunk of person in the street but doesn’t mention it to anyone else in the group.

We get back and meet with Bassahn, who we tell about the evil spirit and how we encountered it. We also happen to tell that story in front of Claire, who freaks.

Daphid lets Bassahn know about how he lit her candle and how we met Govan. She’s touched emotionally and recalls her past as when this inn was a boudoir. She worked there until she could buy the place and change it to a respectable inn.

Bath time! Nobody washes Claire’s clothes but Claire. Bassahn pulls Gwen aside and lets her know there are escape routes in this inn if she needs them.

Dinner time! Everyone gets fed while Gwen performs. The inn is packed as there was a scene at the other inn that’s driven people here.

During the evening meal the door opens. The guard set out front appears to have been knocked down while two guards escorting a noble woman.

The woman is richly dressed and dry thanks to her guard. Gold and jewels, the whole nine yards.

A guard announces her as the daughter of a Duke of Taol Kaer. That’s pretty damn important! Bassahn and Prydaim start throwing servants around and shoot Gwen nervous looks.

Gwen bows to the noble woman, who makes eye contact and seems to be curious as to how Gwen will do.

Gwen plays for and hour, eschewing her break time for the woman. At almost exactly an hour, the woman prepares to leave.

She has her guard offer Gwen her pinky ring and the advice that she had her grip too close to the G fret. Gwen is caught off guard by that and the entire inn holds its breath as she and her guards leave.

Saving Lives and Not Getting Eaten by Ghosts

After Gwen and Daphid reappear, Taren shares that she’s overheard some weird stuff and the group goes up to a room to discuss.

Up in Gwen’s room for secrecy, Taren explains that the gem merchant has set to kill a rival merchant’s courier so their competition fails to make a deal with Earl MacIffyd’s silversmith.

Nobody likes the idea of somebody straight-up getting murdered for their job so we decide to see what we can do about it.

Heading back into the rain, Daphid runs into a man smoking near the entrance to the inn, who is probably working with the bad gem merchant

The man makes mention of a Dutchess from Taol-Kaer visiting the city. Daphid makes small talk until the two women head out into the rain.

In an flash of lightning, Daphid spots a figure in the distance. Something seems unsettling about him. Channeling our Scooby Gang, we further investigate this person and approach.

Taren notices that the figure isn’t walking so much as it is gliding. It matches its pace to ours and we can hear it sniffing the air, despite the sound of the heavy rain.

It starts to come near us, so we retreat slowly back towards the inn. The man that was out there smoking leaps out with his sword drawn and confirms that he saw the same thing.

Everyone goes back into the inn. Prydaim scoffs at Gwen when she says they saw the Spooky M Thing and says not to bring such nonsense into the inn with them. Daphid, Taren, and the man (Iorren) sit down for a beer and discuss what they all saw.

They bond over effed up stuff in the world.

The idea spoiled, Gwen goes up to bed. Daphid steps outside to sit with one of the goons who has replaced Iorren. Taren takes Daphid’s bed.

Daphid notices a person-shaped figure darting through the shadows. Daphid gets up and starts taking a piss in front of the goon to allow the assumed Varigal to make it pass the intercept point safely.

This grosses the goon out so badly that he looks away. The Varigal manages to sneak their way past the intercept point.

MEANWHILE

Claire wakes to the sound of another Varigal, a young woman, drying her clothes as she shivers. The Varigal House cat had been curled up next to her.

Claire makes tea for the girl while she warms up and tells of how she’s delivered her package and received two Frost Daels for it (which is a huge payment). She’s an apprentice, so she only travels in the city, but is excited to head out into the world.

The girl, Jeanette (whoops same name as the bartender), has some nice small talk over tea and stew with Claire. They discuss the city and bond.

In the morning Claire meets the grumpy head of the Varigal house and heads out as Taren did not come back to bed. She heads out into the rain and meets one of the goons still waiting as she heads into the Inn.

Prydiam questions if Claire has money, but Claire explains how she’s looking for her friends. She is lead up the servant stairs, by her preference.

“I hear this is not that type of establishment.” – Claire

Everyone is woken us (Claire tries to whisper through the keyhole and gets yelled at by another inn patron).

Over breakfast we explain the situation from last night. Gwen skips over the whole “a ghost attacked us” part and Claire denies seeing Jeanette.

The group heads out to the Varigal house, collects some letters to be delivered to the dock-side Varigal house.

On the way they spot a crowd staring at something in the street. It’s an iron arrow, covered in barnacles, and looks like its been forged into the ground

A Shelter and a Storm

The night passes with Daphid hooking up with Lady Kells and Mother being able to make a nice dessert with what Claire foraged.

Claire awakes in the night to a strange sound, like a rumble, that is something more than wind rushing over the ruined keep.

Claire wakes up Taren, Taren wakes up Daphid, Daphid wakes up Lady Kells and Mother. Lady Kells says this is a normal occurrence.

Mother and Gwen give no shits, apparently.

Daphid checks the horses. Lady Kells are fine, but the group’s mounts are freaking out.

Daphid goes to take a peek beyond the walls of the keep and sees a hill…moving. It’s really scary in a major way.

The hill has a face now? Daphid is having a very bad time and can’t look at it for long.

Claire gets honey from kitchen and smears it over portholes of the keep because reasons.

Daphid comes back in and tries to assure Taren that everything is fine, but his body language shows that he’s been frightened.

Everyone goes back to sleep and the wind dies down.

In the morning, Mother is furious to find that someone has smeared the honey around the keep. Lady Kells lays down the law and says that by the time they come back with eggs, this better be cleaned up.

Daphid checks again in the sunlight and confirms that he can see a path through the grass. Whatever he saw was real.

Breakfast is nice but then things get real because Daphid calls out Lady Kells asking why she isn’t keeping her name going. Kells bitterly admits that she’s barren and Daphid clarifies that she could name any confidant if she had them.

There’s a lot of back and forth but it boils down to the fact that she’s oath-bound to Earl Mac Iffyd and he wants her lands to be returned to him once she dies.

Daphid gets Gwen to offer up the idea they had: Kells get married to Lord Vortigern. They try and sell her on what a good guy he is.

After some more discussing and we try to figure out what the hell feudal law would do, Lady Kells agrees that it would be a good idea.

Lady Kells gives a cloak pin with her house symbol on it to send with a letter of introduction.

We leave on good terms and head out onto the road. A storm is quickly heading towards us so we pick up the pace to make it to the city.

The wind picks up smoke coming from a portion of the city. It looks like there was a fire that is almost extinguished.

The weather goes from a threat to bad rain and lightning and the group hauls ass to get to the town for shelter. There is a lightning strike behind us and the cliffside shakes as we’re covered in dust from the impact.

We’re hauled into the portculis by a guard who also gets soaked in his attempts to give us shelter. He’s grumpy but admits that at least the rain will put out the fire in the warehouse district.

There are two inns to stay at, the Golden Zephyr and the Kraken, as well as two Varigal houses.

He warns us not to be out after dark, lest the “Moraigen” gets us.

The group makes it to the Varigal house which is impressively large with loads of storage space for packages. The Varigal at the counter is playing with his cat as he greets us.

We drop off the packages, introduce ourselves, and he gives us welcome. The Varigals are offered hospitality, but Gwen and Daphid are free to sit and dry themselves.

The group is greeted in the resting room by Bost, who is a Varigal tending a spit with a small pig and playing a game of chess with himself. He’s friendly, and offers us a meal with him. Taren plays him in a game of chess.

Bost gives us a little info about town and heads up to his bed. Gwen leaves a coin for the meal he shared, and writes the letter to send to Lord V. The group decides to head to the tavern/inn together as it is only early afternoon.

They gather up the animals and take them to the stable attached to the Zephyr and surprise a group of kids that attend the stables. We get the animals attended and the kids are nice and cute.

We run into a person who works at the inn and start to get rooms reserved at the “best inn in the city.”

The inn is a little pricey but not too bad. The common room is huge and very nice with a big fireplace, Right now it is full of merchants that have come to sell weird goods to Magentists.

Gwen asks if they’re in need of a minstrel, and they are, but Prydaim states that they have a certain standard to uphold. She offers Gwen an audition after she has time to dry off and change. She judges us as a bit of bumpkins.

Daphid escorts her down the stairs and Pyrdaim has to fight the urge to curtsy at the sight of Gwen done up properly.

Gwen gets escorted to her room, a dust covered place where no one has been in a long time.

She opens the balcony and cracks Delwyn in the Plague Doctor Mask. He hobbles in and gets covered in dust.

He wants leads on occult stuff that he can sell, and is willing to help get Taren out of her engagement to Lord Brevant. Gwen agrees to give him directions to Fernywood for payment.

Delwyn then manages to get to the second story floor window of Claire and Daphid and talk to them about his plan. He’s vague, and asks for their help in the plan. He admits he has a debt to the Tarish people and earnestly wants to help.

There’s some talk about a plan where Delwyn busts in acting as her husband, and there’s something about Daphid pretending to kill Delwyn. Delwyn eventually flaps back out the widow.

Gwen briefly considers following him up and over the roof but doesn’t.

Everybody gets some rest and then are woken up with their respective breakfasts. Taren gets a bath and is hungover.

Lord Brevant “reminds” Taren that she “agreed” to marry him. Taren denies that and he tells her to watch her tongue.

There is a knock at the door! Very loud! Who could it be???

In barges Delwyn claiming that his wife was headed this way and pretends to recognize Taren. Gwen manages to mouth the words “PLAYALONG” and Taren pretends to recognize her husband, """"Roderick"""

Lord Brevant “realizes” that she almost led him to sin and allows Delwyn to escort her away. Claire, Gwen, and Daphid are given hush money.

Gwen wishes aloud that his Lordship had better peerage to relate to, and Daphid offers to make a connection to Lord Vordigern for purposes of sharing a love of art and the finer things in life.

A letter is written and the group heads out. Taren is retrieved from her hiding spot in the woods and a few letters are sent to Lord Vordigern.

Delwyn parts ways with us and lets us know his seller is in Northern Gwidrea (Ardonrach).

We head to the Varigal house and see Abyseth. He gives us some mail/packages to deliver to a *more northern sorting house and prepares our letters for sending.

Abyseth notices that the cider clonks, so we bust it open and find a ruined note bound in oil cloth. The note is ruined but there is a large, ornate crown. The head of the crown is shaped like a bee and the end like a honeycomb.

Abyseth tries to admit his feelings to Gwen; she shuts him down by calling him a friend. He goes on to give her the gift of a sack cloth and reminds her of the brigands on the roads and knight that defends against them.

Daphid goes to deliver the dress Lord Brevant had Taren wear to the Miller’s daughter, Claire (who had been his dance partner).

Claire graciously accepts (Jacquetta has been teacher her graces) and in returns, gives Daphid a lady’s favor and demands a victory at his next tournament.

The group stops by Javil to say farewell and give him some apples. Gwen offers him aid in getting out of the jibbet and he asks for his case to be pleaded to a Heirophant. Gwen plays him a song so he can have a bit a music.

Gwen asks him for a name that will get more command within the church and he says that the name Arnul Javil will suit, as many still know and some still fear it.

Side note, he’s also seen 3 Feondas and that freaks Claire the hell out. Javil gives her his blessing to try and help her out and be brave but prudent across danger.

We head out again! The roads are pleasantly boring.

That is, until the bandits. They demand coin and receive it. Daphid notices something strange about them and they remark that they’re from a village.

One of the bandits demands that Gwen show what she’s got in her rucksack and declares that Gwen must have stolen that lute. Gwen plays and proves it is hers, and a bandit returns her coin purse and gives her a coin in payment.

The coin given to Gwen is strange; it is ancient, with a stag on one side and a tree on the other. It’s pre Kingdom, that’s how old it is. There is something clearly odd about these bandits.

Two weird things: a man says “nobody gets sick” and gets shushed, and that the leader who looked about 25 had been doing this “for fifty years”

The group tries to offer help for their village, because this is really weird. The leader urges them to go on and forget what happened here, so the group heads out.

Daphid realizes one of the things that made the Bandits weird is that there was a Sameness about them in their physical being.

We come across a knight on horseback, blocking the road. They have older style armor and a sigil of a boar on a blue background.

She introduces herself as Lady Aerendal of Barrowleigh Howe of The Kells (spelling is hard in this game). She recognizes Daphid’s claimed house and asks after Lord Vertigern. She’s called The Termagant Knight.

She invites us to spend the night at her castle, although she admits that it isn’t what it once was. Daphid accepts on our behalf and we make our way down a narrow, sea-side trail.

She lives in a stone keep with a herd of friendly horses. Everything seems to be a little decrepit. Out of her armor she’s a 40-something lady that is clearly strong.

She lives with her “Mother”, a servant that won’t leave despite not being paid in quite some time. She was once engaged to Brevant the Elder but she passed on that deal.

Daphid and Lady Knight flirt and are gross together.

Claire finds a huge cache of currants and honey comb. Tarren gets water from the well, and Gwen is bad at chopping potatoes.

Say that Three Times Fast

The group gets the animals put up at a nice stable, and part ways among the village. Gwen plays music for the children to keep them company.

Claire and Taren visit the Varigal house and find it has a mail sorting office in the back. There is a man with a big gut sorting mail, who claims he’s quit traveling to just sort packages. He’s heard rumors of a knight guarding roads towards the coast.

The package master’s name is Abyseth. He heads out with Clair and Taren and is smitten with Gwen, who he helps repack her lute more efficiently. Gwen introduces Daphid to him and they all go to the tavern with a warning to be polite to Montiroe.

Jacquetta, the owner of the bar, is a very young woman (17 tops) and is busy tending tables. A huge man named Montiroe stands at the kitchen door, her apparent guard.

Abyseth points out a man wearing black cloak with feathers as a man who is rumored to have traveled from Reizh and has been asking “the wrong sorts of questions”

Jacquetta takes our orders and sets up Gwen to perform for the night.

Abyseth starts trying to mack on Gwen while everyone has dinner when the man in the feathered cloak walks over and seats himself with a flourish between Clair and Taren.

That goes about as well as you think.

He introduces himself as Delwyn of Reizh, who is an researcher of the occult with a specialty in Tarish Lore and such.

Claire bolts after about thirty seconds of this guy as she wants nothing to do with him. He explains that he’s on the hunt for any occult action and was here to examine the man in the jibbet, which turns out was a boring mundane thing.

He’s pretty hysterical if the group sort of gives him conversation. Abyseth goes to the big dude trying to get Delwyn kicked out to no avail. The man is boisterous and keeps getting odd looks from other patrons.

Eventually he heads off to go find a large sack which he takes from the grain mill. He gets harassed by a small child on the way but gets his bag and heads back to the tavern.

The tavern is having a big ol’ party with everyone in town! Gwen puts on a good show with lots of popular dances and such for the people.

Meanwhile, Claire wanders the town and heads to the tree in the center of the village.

Taren talks with Abyseth and tells him about the dead Varigal they came across in the woods. She gives him the letter to read and he notes that it is to someone in Guv’ren. They discuss the dead body for a while, then Abyseth asks if Delwyn was rude.

Taren lets him know that he has no chance with Gwen in a devastating parting shot. Get owned, Abyseth.

During the second set break, Delwyn pulls Abyseth outside to “help” him with Gwen. Despite HOWSUPERWEIRD HE IS, all he does is offer Delwyn the sack so that he can offer it to Gwen to hide her lute.

The sound of hoot beats is heard and a gaudy carriage approaches the tavern. It has guards that unload a rather large man who is super-obese.

Jacquetta pulls Gwen aside and explains that the lord is easy to annoy and vicious when he’s irritated. Gwen has a set list for this type of customer.

Gwen steps back up to the stage, makes a big show of asking the lord’s permission, and plays her Pompus Asshole Set. The Lord seems pleased, and then says it’s time for a dance.

Taren says, “Fuck it, let’s do this” and volunteers to be his partner. Delwyn and Daphid also join the reel.

It goes…kinda good, kinda poorly. Taren is super drunk so her ineptitude masks the Lord’s and gives him someone to blame. Daphid dances with an 8yr old that is totally rad.

Gwen cuts the song short because the Lord is dying for a breath (Gwen contemplates killing the lord by continuing) and Daphid and the 8 year old Claire have a seat which everyone thinks is very cute.

It gets to the point where Lord Brevant tries to get Taren to go back to his manor with him. Taren laughs out loud at this offer and the air goes out of the room.

Taren barfs on his shoes. Daphid steps in and claims her as a charge and the Lord Brevant can’t take a hint about her not going with him.

Daphid tries to get her out of it but ends up gathering Claire and getting in the wagon. Delwyn ties himself under the wagon. Gwen think we’re all bailing but ends up being escorted on Pissbeard. She chats with a chill guard.

They reach the manor. Everybody pops out and the Lord is met with a too-deep bow. This is the McManor of Manors. Delwyn unties himself from the wagon and Batmans it into the larger grounds of the manor.

The interior is ostentatious and kinda tacky. Money was put into stupid decor but you can tell the manor is in ill repair.

Gwen is called to perform for his bed ridden mother, who is even bigger than she is. His mamma so big when she sits around the manor, she sits AROUND the manor.

Brevant introduces Gwen to his mother and she berates his as an idiot, mocks him for claiming to dance, and calls for Gwen to play. She bemoans her current lot, asks Gwen to play baudy songs, and warns her against having children.

She mentions that she’s pretty sure he’s still a virgin, and Gwen almost feels bad for him.

Taren is being checked out by the physician, while Claire and Daphid are shown their room. The two make plans to rescue Taren. Delwyn continues to Batman about in search of the Lord’s room.

Taren gets some leeches applied and then is escorted to the former Lady of the House’s room to sleep so she can recover.

Brevant might want to marry her??? We’re getting into the plot of that animated Thumbalina movie. Remember that one? He’s the mole.

Delwyn made it into the room, and hides on the balcony as Brevant goes to sleep. Delwyn is in full Plague Doctor dress and comes back in, observes him, and then leaves.

Leaping and Prancing

Daphid and Gwen move like nimble mountain goats down the slope (because they both rolled open ended) and are able to gently haul the old man’s body back up.

The group gets across the mudslide and settles Taren down at a small fire. Daphid and Gwen ask Claire to sit with her.

Daphid steals a bunch of stuff of the old guy. Gwen does Claire’s herb stuff over him. They bury the body.

Gwen and Daphid hem and haw but eventually decide not to take anything from the dead lord, as the sounds of battle can still be heard on the wind.

Travel recommences and they get a few hours and make camp.

Around midnight the sounds of wolves on the hunt is heard by the group, but the animals are not bothered. The night passes quietly other than that.

In the morning Gwen spots a giant wolf print in the stream. Claire claims it is a sign of good luck.

After more travel we come across a marker that says we’re in our way to Ofergietan.

They come across a man in a gibbet who seems pretty chipper given his circumstances. He said he’d been put their by Lord Aedgar as a heretic, and counters that Lord Aedgar is an asshole.

The caged man has a guard who is a bit dumb. We have lunch with them, Gwen performs, they share it’s pretty nice. Some guards on horseback come around and we have to pretend like we weren’t sharing lunch with the prisoner.

Turns out we’re just over the hill from the town, and it has a pub!

We all head into the village and it looks pretty nice! Big tree I’m the center, hospitality house, all the amenities. We’re greeted by a little herd of children. Looks like a friendly village overall.

One of the guards apologies for sight of the heretic sort of marring their village.

*The group heads out from Castle Drachaid and heads out into the greater world, through the Forest of Whispers.
*Claire and Daphid go one way to look for a better crossing point. Daphid spots a boot sticking out from a bush/fern on the other side of the river.

The gang heads out on the road and travel is calm and quiet. There is lunch at a stream and progress is good until they come to a broken bridge with a river too rough to ford.

After picking around up and downstream a foreign point is found. It is a. It is a harrowing crossing but everyone makes it across.

They go to inspect the boot, and indeed a body is attached. It is a man with a leather satchel, clutching a sealed cask. His relatively nice gear is aged as he’s been dead for a bit. There is an arrow in his side.

Despite Claire’s objections the body is (politely) searched and parchment is found. It’s to a man named Bergian who had gone to live in a city, from family back home.
*Camp is made and Claire takes first watch. She watches as an ethereal woman walk past the camp and is NOTOKAY with that. The spirit walks on through the woods with no regard for the party. Claire decides to follow the spirit.

Daphid wakes up everyone as Claire is missing. He and Taren head out while Gwen stays at camp. There are glowing footsteps to follow.

Claire finds a forgotten road that dead ends into six massive stones that cross the old road. The woman walks right through these (she had avoided other obstacles). The stones are strangely cold to her touch as she begins her prayers.

Daphid and Taren spot Claire and sneak up in her, but like in a friendly way.

Daphid grabs her to try and keep her calm and not standby. She immediately tries to stab him.

Daphid puts her in a submission hold, which goes about as well as you’d expect. There’s a struggle but Taren helps Claire calm down and they all get head back to camp, despite Claire’s objections.

The group returns to where Claire was found and in the rocks blocking the path reads a carved word: Deapscyldig. Gwen recognizes that is means “condemned to death.”

Deapscyldig: Condemned to death.

Gwen offers the theory that the Church found the town, broke it’s henge, and blocked the road to ruin the town. They decide to not approach the town and get back to their journey.

The wind blows and the clanging of metal is heard again. Claire clambers up the rock wall and can tell the noise is coming from inside the village. She also sees a sign with a chess piece in it.

We finally get going and travel is okay, but the wind is picking up. There is a washed out road that we need to deal with.

We head up to clamber around the unpassable road. Taren puts her finger through a skulll’s eyehole and realizes there are tons of skeletons and old armor on the ground.

Gwen approaches a body that has a signet ring and is, somehow, still intact. The signet is a huge sapphire with a big script letter “A” on both sides. Although she can’t tell what it would impress when used. To the dismay of EVERYONEELSE, Gwen makes an impression with some melted wax.

An old man appears, amused at the group’s antics.

OH MY GODTARENSHOTTHEOLDDUDE.

Old dude is dead.

The wax impression resembles a crown with a snowflake peak. Gwen has seen it before, but can’t place it.

Jeff, We Hardly Knew Ye

*Jeff is put in repose inside the chapel, and goodbyes/thanks are given.
*Lohord is burned and Estrilda is made to watch. Then she is returned to the cell.
*A feast is given: to celebrate the removal of a witch, and stopping the poisoning of the lord.
*Clare’s paranoia, has her on edge and notices a dude in the background. He is covered head to toe. Hood+Mask. Very fashionable.
*The Sargent at arms is occasionally talking to the mystery man.
*Gwen is called on during the feast to play a song. She chooses to play her new song “The lament of the old grove”. She is rewarded with a small purse.
*Vortigert asks the group to join him in his solar. The Sargent and masked dude join them.
*Vortigert asks the varigol to deliver Jeff’s effects to expiation. He asks Clare about her mentor and is surprised to learn she had been separated from him for a length of time.
*Vortigert asks the masked man “Daphyd” to company Gwen in finding her mentor.
*Vortigert asks for council on how to handle his wife. Gwen suggests to send her to an abbey after the child is born.
*After a long discussion, there is talks of political turmoil in Gwedre. The king is old, has no heir. Civil war is on the horizon. Demteir seeks to avoid this war. Either by keeping the king alive, or support the most qualified of the noble line to lead.
*The group accepted Vortigert’s offer of employment, and were given caerniade for the trip.

Claire goes to Jeff’s viewing and places anti ghost stuff. Feeling a chill in the air, she finishes quickly and leaves with a feeling of unease.

The Lord pulls Gwen aside and she admits that she’s actually noble and hiding it.

He tells Gwen that her family’s castle has been taken by a Taol-Kaer Lord. Her father is presumed dead or hostage.

He promises that he’ll send word about her family if they can, as well as news about her mentor as well.

Which Witch is Which?

In the morning the discovery of the plant among the buried bodies leads to a mass burning. The plant writhes in pain a little as it burns and people are a bit freaked.
*Jeff goes to Claire in her cell and returns the trinkets, admitting that he had been the Inquisitor. He establishes a little rapport and gets Claire to tentatively agree to speak in support of Jeff’s building case against Lohord.
*Lohord spots Gwen in the crowd and she hides in the church.
*Taren is also hiding in church
*Jeff goes to Amelyn and openly asks about her animosity towards Lohord. She admits that they were once to be wed as young people but she stabbed him in the nut because he is a rapist and an overall cruel asshole. She also defends her Tarish Varigals.
*A soldier by the name of Palen comes to gather Gwen. He is in awe of her being a minstrel and helps get her caernidae.
*Druistan is being hoisted by two soliders to load his wagon and get ready. He is readying his donkeys and berating them for their lack of intelligence and appreciation of his great machinery.
*The Magentist that lives in a van down by the river makes an appearance, demanding the delivery of his gear. He runs towards to wagon totally nude and Claire lets him know that it is waiting for him at the blacksmith’s.
*The wagon gets out onto the roads and everyone is trying to keep an eye out for escape routes.
*We arrive at the castle, which is built on an island in the center of a river. The bridge is 2 wagons wide with a high wall. Everything looks easily defensible and well built. The guard house itself is like a castle keep.
*The castle itself is in a bit of slight disrepair and the guards themselves area bit disheveled. The group disembarks from the wagon and is lead inside.
*We are introduced to Lord V. He is older, looking a bit pale with his young lady wife very close to him and whispering in his ear. He has the “witch” brought forward and asked if she confesses.
*Druistan steps on Lohord’s accusations and explains that his instruments detect no supernatural anything around her; she might be a weirdo, but she’s a mundane weirdo.
*Jeff is introduced as a Suigere, and Lohord calls him to report on his “failure” before the lord.
*The Lord catches sight of Gwen’s pin and commands her to perform. She shreds out a song on the lute and brings a tear to his eye and a little more vigor to his person. The wife tries to whisper something and gets slapped for it.
*The Lord is a pinned Patron and gives Gwen a good coin purse for her performance.
*Things return to the accusations. The Lords asks why Gwen is among this group and she tells him what she saw. This leads to the fact that Lohord commanded the woodmen go to the Old Grove. Jeff starts to turn the accusation onto Lohord himself.
*Jeff’s Argument goes here. I had to go to the bathroom so I missed the start of it.
*The Lord listens to the argument and occasionally asks for input from the other witnesses.. Jeff begins to build the case against Lohord with stories told by townspeople.
*Eventually the case gets to where we want to use the wagon for proof and everyone heads outside. Lohorn and the Lady are giving each other silent communication while the Lord talks to Claire and tells her just to say that she’s not a witch when she’s not.
*Barristan (the Sergeant at Arms) offers to test the machine’s reading. He gets read with low output.
*When Lohord’s turn comes, Jeff shoves him forward with a ichor-stained rag tucked into his belt to make the machine’s reading’s go wild.
*The guards surround Lohord, who denies the accusations. In an instant he lunges forward and stabs Jeff right in the gut then makes a frantic leap off the bridge.
*Taren grabs his cloak and Gwen steps on it to keep him. He cuts free but when he falls into the water the portculis (which he ordered shut) and drowns.
*The Lord listens to Jeff’s last words as Taren tries futilely to staunch the wound.
*The Lady bolts for the stables. Gwen uses a commanding tone and gets a guard to react and catch her with a flying tackle. Gwen goes with them as they escort the lady to the tower.
*Lord V arranges for Taren to get washed and clean clothes, a proper burial (lead by Gladwyne), and a feast for the night.
*Gwen talks to Lady. The lady was clever and had a good racket, and is pregnant and real sullen about her plans being ruined.
*Fashion montage! Taren and Claire get all gussied up in the Lady’s clothes. Claire has to save her shawl from getting burned and hollers at the ladies in waiting.
*Gwen is called to speak with Lord V and she shares the information that she got from the Lady. She recites the plan and intentions to kill him.

The next day, a stranger with a wagon approaches the closed gates at morning. He has a huge device that takes up most of the wagon’s space.

The man, a Magientist, finds Jeff and begins peppering him with questions about “a recent event” in the woods that he detected.

Jeff gets rid of the man by pointing him to the river-house of the known Magientist. The stranger decides to get breakfast first.

Children are shoo’d away from the bizarre wagon.
*He, Druistan, makes it to the Log Jam and is welcomed by a bemused Mildreth

Jeff gets to church and asks for a fire to start warming irons. He has a chat with a kindhearted guard about what he has to do (the violence of his technique).
*Lord Vortigal has a relatively new, young wife but no kids yet.
*Jeff begins to question Claire. He examines her belongings. When asked if she is a witch, Claire responds “No.”
*Jeff has Claire agree to offer statements against the asshole nobel dude that doesn’t seem to care about the care of his people and leaves with the the hot iron in hand.
*Druistan gets breakfast at the Log Jam, where he calls Gwen over for questioning about the recent events. She offers a retelling of the event as well as advice not to press the woodsman lest they react violently.
*With direction from Gwen, Druistan heads out to meet the man that lives in the river house and is immediately distracted by the reinforcement of the wall.
*He meets Adwulf and “measures” him against the machine in the wagon. Gwen is hauled out of the Jam Log and gets measured as well.
*Gwen is also hauled out to be measured beside Adwulf.
*Asshole Chelumund steps out of the hospitality house and starts being an asshole. He demands that a party go into the woods and retrieve the bodies and any felled logs.
*Druistan steps up, takes command, and somehow organizes an exploration party??? We’re back off into the woods.
*We return to the scene of the Feaondas attack, yell at Druistan not to take any samples and try and gather bodies.
*Lohord is still being an asshole about everything when we bring the dead back and claims that the men died of natural causes.
*After dinner, Lohord is smug at Jeff about the whole witch thing. He thinks Tarish = Witch and expects there to be a burning the next day.
*Lohord continues his asshole streak by telling Gwen he’d pay for her as a prostitute and that she’ll accompany him to play for their Lord’s lady. She delays answering by basically insinuating the Tarish Varigals as jealous whores to keep him away. It’s a shitty move on Gwen’s behalf but she couldn’t think of anything else!
*Gwen goes to the Varigal House, almost gets knifed, and warns Taren about Lohord’s desires.

Just Say No to Just Saying No, Claire

Claire is eating at the Log Jam and is made uncomfortable when Jeff sits near her.

The townspeople are adding keeping extra watch on the walls tonight.

Amelin asks if Claire saw anything as Claire returns to the Varigal house. Claire only saw the dead men and thinks it was a feond which killed them.

Amelin had her legs eaten by a Feond, during a caravan attack. She was saved by Tarish, who stitched up her legs.

Jeff leaves for the other tavern to listen to the rumors and chat. He has a few beers then heads to bed and has trouble sleep.

Claire wakes and finds that people have asked about her. Amelin warns her to lay low for the day, let the men work off their anger.

Claire goes to check on her delivered packages and find the Magentist trying to do work on parts of his house. The magentist was very confusion when Claire tried to learn if he had found the package she left on his doorstep.

Ladifrith’s package contained a Fossil Flux, then he asked for Claire to get the smith to fix a wheel and melt down some gold.

Taryn approaches the town around 10am and finds the entire town trying to upgrade their already considerable defenses.

Taryn speaks with Amelin and learns that there is another Tarish Varigal in the town. She also learns that 19 men died yesterday and the people are being suspicious of anything different.

Claire gives the gold and wheel to the smith, the smith is surprised to have payment for the work on the wheel. Then Claire heads back to the Widow Maker to meek with Taryn and Amelin who told her to meet here there.

Jeff talked with Aedwulf about the event last night, neither of them could remember much of the details of what they were afraid of. Then Jeff went to talk with the church about the Tarish and if it could be their magic.

Jeff talks with bishop, and is asked to retrieve the Tarish ladies for questions. Jeff searches the taverns and finds them in the Widow Maker. They follow Jeff to meet the bishop. The bishop stares down the Tarish to try and gadge there reaction.

The bishop, asks Aedwulf what her remembers. It is mostly about the dead men and a feeling of terror. Everything is a fog/mist and he cannot see through it. He feels the need to run when he tries to remember.

The bishop asks Claire about her memories. She saw many men in very bad state (also dead?). She believes the magical creatures caused the carnage.

The bishop and Claire discuss is Claire summoned the creature, Claire talks in vague statements saying that she intends no harm. but the bishop need to say yes or no on if she summon the creature.

The bishop says that Claire must stay in the churches care until a Sigire from Expiation can be summoned.

The Bishop the turns to Taryn, stating it is odd to find 2 Tarish in a small town. Asks the relationship of them, which is met with they have never met. Taryn has not idea what is going on and the bishop enlightens her.

The Bishop asks if Taryn knows about mystical events. Taren and the Bishop then go into a back and forth because the bishop wants answers and Taren feels attacked. The bishop is upset but sees no reason for Taryn to be held, in fact she should go sooner.

The bishop turns back to Claire and ensures that she will be no problem while she stays with them. she answers no.

Taryn and Amalin go to the Log Jam, they order food.

Lohord shows up in town and goes into the Log Jam for food. They are confronted by Aedwulf who want Lohord to take blame for the me that were killed. Lohord pulls bullshit and says it is the incompetence of the men that were sent that caused the issue.

Lohord then attempts to pull Taryn into the conversation. Asks for who the packages, then tries to send Taryn away. Amalin tells him to shut up then says he is an ass.

Taryn has a fun time trying to give Ladifrith a package as well.

Monk Gladwine comes to Claire and says that he doesn’t think the Tarish deserve their lot. asks Claire to be completely honest when the Sigire come.

Over the River and Through the Woods

This is a logging town of some size, has 2 taverns, a monestary, and varigal house

Claire arrives from the West, a Varigal with deliveries (3 packages)

Ladifrith, Chelemund, and Aedwulf are the waiting recipients

The woman who runs the Varigal house doesn’t have legs because logging towns are brutal. (Amalyn)

Jeff enters the Log Jam and gets a meal (other tavern is the Widow Maker), see’s Gwen walk in and get chided by the owner to start playing for the new guest

Claire is lead to the Log Jam by Amalyn

Jeff (Mike) calls the Varigal over to dine with him

Gwen hears the distant sound of someone crying for help. Outside there are two men, one covered in blood and one in shock. They get hauled in to the Log Jam.

A huge man busts in and starts questioning the one in shock (Bambro) about what happened but gets no response.

These two men were part of a workforce sent to the Old Grove (which draws shock from the crowd)

Big man (Aedwulf), Colough, and Eofrick join Claire, Jeff, and Gwen and the party heads into the edges of the Whispering Woods

The trees begin to change from giant coniferous to apple trees and other soft woods, outcropping of stones that look like they’d been worked. Gwen spots an axe stuck into a tree and a dead woodsman with a twisted body.

Further up the hill are more mutilated bodies as well as the remains of a small keep with the rest of the dead crew

The story is that the Old Grove keep was built by a Lordling who was cursed by a Demorthain, they didn’t

Jeff spots among the blood on the old wall, a newly sprouted plant

Suspects Demorthain magics (duh) and refers to it as Morchail

Gwen’s mount starts to panic as she hears laughter and alerts the group, everyone starts to move down the mountain as others begin to hear the laughter

From beyond the keep rises a huge hulk of a monster, at least 12 feet tall. Jeff is closest and faces it breifly before fleeing.

Everyone runs for their fucking lives. Gwen lets her mount bolt while she clings on for dear life. The creature gives chase

Eofrick is last in the pack but the creature stops at the edge of the apple trees. The group makes it down to the river

Gwen’s mount carries her back to town, where the gate is closed. Claire and Jeff follow, as does Colough. Much later, Aedwulf returns with Eofrick’s body slung over his shoulder.

Aedwulf calls to summon all the workmen home and orders that the walls need to be built taller tomorrow

Aedwulf confronts Claire and is supsicious of her when she mentions she’s Tarish. He puts her under house arrest and says she’ll have to answer some questions in the morning.

Selling Wool and Getting Fleeced

Everybody met for dinner and agreed that they’d all help sell wool on market day

Westly goes to the church to let the Abbot know about the Mordchail suspicions

The hospitality house man has “accusations” brought against him and he denies it all and get mad

Jacob vaguely threatens the thief with Chupi

About 25% of the wool had been replaced with shitty quality.

Goenal gets drunk by drinking everyone’s leftover beers

The evening passes with the crew sorting wool and talking with the cheese monger

The morning of the market! Everyone hauls the wool to a spot in the market

Things are going pretty well until Goenall hears a ruckus further down the market

The boy that Halsa had spoken with has brained the quarry foreman with a stone as the girl cries near him

The town guard ties his hands and takes him away

The girl turns to Westley in the crowd and he gets a little explanation out of her about what happened (she is in some real denial)

He directs her to a convent that will take care of her, her mother, and the guy’s dad

Westely accompanies the girl for questioninng about the murder

Meanwhile, Jacob is kicking ass at selling wool and has made bank.

A lordly dude shows up to haggle with Jacob, he is nice enough for his status and Jacob gets a far-ish deal, then an invitation to dinner at the tavern

He’s from lands off to the West and claims to be seneschal
*Meanwhile, Westley attends the questioning. The girl keeps blaming the witch for the crime.
*The boy is said to have right of vengeance for his mother and is to be exiled after working to rebuild the monastery to the south.
*After this sentence is handed down, the hospitality house guy is dragged in on the charge of stealing wool. The lord mentions that it’s essentially the last straw for this guy’s bullshit and he gets branded as a thief.

I'm very tired writing this see if u can tell

A new day, and Jacob and Halsa return to the Witch’s hut. It is empty and the witch is nowhere to be found. While in the hut, two teenager, a girl and boy, approach. Halsa pretends to be the witch and asks what they’re after. Turns out she’s pregnant with his child but her father hates him and would forbid their marriage. They ask for a potion that will make the father like the boy. After some family history is offered, Halsa realizes and shares with them the information that they’re most likely half-siblings and suggests they abort the baby. The teens refuse and storm off, claiming that she’s a fake and is spouting lies.

Jacob doesn’t add anything to the conversation except for his looming shadow.

Aelgar shows up and commends Halsa for a job well done. He surmised about the same conclusion Halsa did. Aelgar did help the witch pass, but as a friend comforting another friend, not by actually murdering her or anything.

[It was just Mike and Kalisa that day so it was a short session. This took a lot longer than it seems.]

The group makes it to town and is challenged by the gate guard. He prods the wool with a sword and asks if we’re hiding a woman among us.

Apparently Halsa doesn’t count. Rude.

We head into town and get to the hospitality house. Westley and Goenal go to check out the chuch. Goenal is mistaken as a novice, given robes, and escapes getting a tonsure several times while he explores the new world of organized religion. He spends the night with the rest of the novices and has to deal with the prayer bell. Westley ends up staying up all night in prayer because repentance or something.

In the morning, Goenal gets to ring the bell and is very enthusiastic about it.

At some point we get an audience with Lord Trefisk and plead the monk’s need for aid. He seems like an okay lord and says he’ll do what he can, including making sure the monks are safe for the winter.

At some point Jacob and Halsa go into the woods, as do Liam and Declin. The two separate groups converge on a place in the woods that’s filled with animal corpses. There are “dreamcatches” made out of animal bones. A witch lives there, in her little tent. She’s not doing very good health wise and constantly asks us to kill her.

[At this point in my game notes there is an entry that only reads “THEPOGOAT” which I assume is a half-goat, half-pogo monster.]

But none of us kill her. Instead we ask some questions about the woman and the baby and she explains a lot of what was going on. The woman was the daughter of Lord Trefisk, and she had gotten pregnant by one of the stablehands. She was getting carted off to get married so that’s probably why her dowry was so over the top.

Halsa and Jacob head off to find Aelgar. He’s among the blackcurrants and is a chill dude.

Goenal almost gets himself actually killed for real by the boss of the local quarry.

Everyone has to hustle back to town before the gates close. We hear fire and laughing along the way but can’t stop to investigate. The group barely makes it back in time.

The next day, Jacob and Halsa want to go find Aelgar again but Westley joins them so they go check out where they saw the fire instead. Surprise there’s a bunch of dead people! It’s a group of armed men that are all dead, their throats slit, but no sign of blood. One man has a plant growing from his throat, which Decklin recognizes as druidic magic.

Halsa returns to town and comes back with Oisha, one of the few competent people in the town. She starts looking over the scene when the sound of people approaching on horseback is heard. She sets up a protective wall (Jacob with a spear) and 15 riders approach. There’s a “noble” dude, he’s kind of an ass, but he gives us money to bury everyone before he rides off.

There’s a lot of burying to done. Westley breaks out the quick-serve version of his burial rites.

The plan is as follows: Lord Kenwyrd gives the group a wagon full of good quality wool to take to the market in wherever, two days from Stamford. This provides us with a reason to head to town rather than just a bunch of peasant and a priest rolling up and asking weird questions. We load up and head out, passing through the countryside in relative peace.

Halsa spots a column a smoke in the distance on the afternoon of the second day. We approach and spot a few men on horseback, watching a monastery burn as they inspect the monks that leap out of the burning building. They assume their target is dead and leave. The group rushes up as soon as the men on horseback are gone and start helping the monks get to safety as well as treating them as best they can for smoke inhalation. One last survivor busts through a stained glass window and is dragged to safety. He is barely alive and badly mutilated from burns, but Halsa does her best to heal him.

Westley offers comfort to the head monk as he dies from injuries.

While trying to get everyone settled, the two men on horseback are spotted by Liam. They are chasing him down and are clearly ready to kill. Declan takes out one of the riders with a well-placed shot and Jacob kills the other with his staff. The man Declan shot is paralyzed and dying, but asks if we are “Ranalf’s men” (???) before he eventually succumbs to his wounds.

The mutilated man regains consciousness and it turns out he’s some sort of lordman? His name is Rouche (?) Kilearen, who offers a boon to Halsa for her aid. He commands Liam scribe a letter for him, the contents of which explain that a fellow lord is a traitor and is planning an imminent rebellion. He seals the letter with his personal sigil and asks us to give the letter only to a truly trustworthy Varigal and get it to the King.

Goenal and Westley examine the burned out remains of the monastery and mourn the loss of the books that had been kept there. Westley finds a blue and white checked cloth wadded up on the floor of the church. It smells of sour milk and is assumed that it was used to nurse a baby.

The monks tell the group that recently a wagon carrying a woman and her ill baby had come to them from the north. They had been heading south and the woman was fussed over by a man and woman who kept her constantly covered.

Halsa takes ten and goes to find the witch’s house that was a little ways down the nearby river. Jacob uses Chupi to herd the horses of the dead soldiers back so they can be used.

Lord Kilearen painfully mounts a horse and heads out as he needs to be away in case anyone comes looking for him. After promising the monks that we’d implore their local lord to send aid, the group retrieves their cart full of wool and continues their journey.

Story: river flooded and time was important
Bought a pull cart
Turn right at broken sign post
Halsa spots column of smoke
As we approach, hear laughter and screaming
Hide the wagon
Sneak forward: guys on horse watching stone building burning
Men on horseback say something about Lord Ranalf and leave.
Group goes to heal the monks that escaped the fire.
One last survivor breaks through a stained glass window
While healing people, the men on horseback return and the group kills them.
While dying one of them asks if we’re Kilearen’s men.
The badly burned man who jumped through the window says something about “Ranalf’s men.”
Burned man is a lord?
He asks Liam to scribe a letter about him
Pirimus (now acting head monk) kneels before the lord and says it was assumed he was dead.
Kilearen gives the monks money to rebuild.
Jacob uses Chupi to herd the horses back.
Rouche (?) Kilearen offers a boon to Halsa.
He told us to take his letter to only a trusted Varigal that could get it to the King.
Ranalf’s sigis is a shield with a blue and red checked pattern with a prancing boar.
Goenal and Westley talk about the burned down church and lament the loss of knowledge.
Westley finds a blue and white checked patterned cloth wadded up on the floor of the church.
The monks tell us that there were people heading south with a sick babe. They came from the north with a woman that was constantly covered and fussed over by a man and woman.
Pirimus asks us to head to lord Haverfirth and ask for food/money to be sent to the monks

CSI: Stamford

The table is set at the end of the day and the whole village gathers for the feast. Halsa, Jacob, Goenall, and Westleigh are given seats of honor by Lord Cyneweard and awarded the prize of a sword for their victory. The group decides to take the worth of the sword instead and evenly split the prize money between them, earning them each 25 Frost Doals. Lord Cyneweard asks how the group solved certain aspects of the hunt’s puzzles, seeking out who had what strengths and how the group worked together.

As for the rest of the day’s festivities, Odreck won Best Sheep and Andrid won Best Cabbage. It is unknown who was awarded the giant wheel of cheese.

The winning group retires to the hospitality house (courtesy of Lord Cynewear) where Jacob and Halsa plan how to spend their winnings.

The morning after, the team is gathered to explain the origin of the baby found during the Great Hunt. The kids hem and haw and rely on Cruach for what information they’re allowed to divulge. The Lord is unsurprisingly interested in this story and asks them to return to the swamp to investigate further as well as give any necessary rites to the remaining dead woman. Westleigh comes along to assure that a priest of the Faith could offer whatever religious duties might be required of him.

A return to the swamp at Halfbridge! No one is excited for this adventure! Cruach, Jacob, Halsa, and Westleigh head out in the early morning to return to where the dead bodies and the baby were found. The water levels had receded slightly which makes all the mucking about a lot easier as everybody gets to the Halfbridge.

Nobody wants to be at the Halfbridge, but there they are! Jacob is able to retrieve the remaining dead body and Jacob starts digging a grave for her. The dead woman has stunningly blue eyes and is dressed in finery that is very uncommon for such a rural area. Cruach questions Halsa on what she observes and can draw conclusions about the woman’s life and possible cause of death.

MEANWHILE

Leam and Deklin have arrived in the swamp from places unknown. They stumble upon the search party and watch with extreme curiosity as what appears to be a bunch of peasants and a priest poke around in a swamp and retrieve a dead body. The cautiously make their presence known and introduce themselves as a scholar and hunter, respectfully. Leam begins a stream of questions about everyone, the swamp,and the body until he’s forced to give pause for the burial. Westleigh gives prayer according to his faith, all six verses, and the investigation party invites the two new arrivals to follow them so they can find Stamford.

Further exploration along the river find a wagon that crashed into the rapids and more dead bodies. The is a man, presumably the porter that drove the wagon, as well as another woman. Both bodies are extracted are carefully as they can be (still an awful mess) and more graves are dug. In the wreckage of the wagon the group finds bolts of fine cloth and a chest filled with clothing and a child’s doll among other supplies that indicated this is the same wagon the woman with the child traveled with. The chest also contained a letter that Westleigh reads. Much of the letter is blotted with ink that was presumably smudged by the water. Burial rites are performed, Chupi witnesses because no one else has the patience for Westleigh’s thorough performance of his duties.
-
“Elanore Rigby”is heard playing in the distance.-

The entire party now heads back to Stamford to report their findings to Lord Cyneweard. The letter is read aloud, describing the wagon’s riders as a family delivering their daughter Aelgythu to a distant Lord Wulfgar, the anticipated joy at the return of her health, and the hope for future children that will thrive in the ocean-side lands of their new home. It also mentions a dowry of cloth, money, and a bull.

The assembled group, including Lord Cyneweard, agree that there is more to this situation than the letter leads its reader to assume, especially as the dowry is tremendously overdone for such a marriage arrangement and both the bull and money are missing (the money may have sunk into the water). Aelferyd offers council on the matter and when asked, Cruarch heavily implies that the child died despite best efforts to revive it.

Lord Cyneweard proposes that those involved in this discovery take up the task of traveling to the wagon’s intended destination and finding the truth of the matter. The choice to accept to refuse the task is freely granted to the group in the same way that someone might offer free choice between a cup of lemonade and shooting you in the leg. Deklin is gently cautioned that he might want to mind his manners should he stand before any ever lord and walk away unscathed.

Westleigh turns his attention to one of Lord Cyneweard’s men, who received a nasty leg wound during the day’s hunt (which was successful and Jacob gets himself a nice slab o’ boar). Although the consensus is to simply allow Aelferyd to tend the wound in the typical manner, Westleigh offers his aid. The man is mostly unwilling but prepares himself for whatever tender mercies Westleigh might have to offer. Westleigh performs a gol’durn miracle both with an act of supernatural healing as well as by restraining the urge to be super smug in the face of all the haters.

Those who actually live in Stamford go home and think about what they’ll do in the morning. Jacob’s parents are not helpful. Halsa goes to Elfleda, convinced that the child is dead, and asks that the doll found in the wagon be buried with it. After being assured that the child is not dead, Halsa goes to Aelferyd. She is interrupted by Westleigh, who offers Aelferyd the majority of his winnings to donate to the village with the condition that part of the money goes to restoring the temple. After the interruption, Halsa is disheartened because she was going to make a similar gesture by giving Aelferyd part of her winnings.

Leam and Deklin spend the night in the hospitality house. Both are cautiously optimistic about the ghost prospects of this town. Leam takes a lot of notes and invents perhpaps not the word, but the concept of a nerd for the people of Stamford.

Cruach plus group dig around at half bridge
Jacob puts staff the body underwater.
Cruach pulls body up out of water
Cruach makes halsa inspect body
Woman has nicer clothes, no wounds, and bright blue eyes
We dug a grave for the woman
Two guys showed up (Leam and Deklin)
Cruach and the men question each other
Guys had journal
Liam offered to write letters from our village
Liam asked about ghost, and where the woman was found
Liam looked at the footprint in the muck
Woman found dead off cliff upstream
Found man pinned to tree by wagon upstream.
Man looked like a porter
Wagon had cloth, clothing, and chest
Chest had woman’s clothing and baby stuff.
Halsa takes doll.
Westleigh found parchment.
Halsa went to Damathair.
Jacob, Goenall, Liam, Deklin, Cruach, and Westleigh have a pint at the greystone.
Parchment. The marriage of wulfgar and Aelgythu.
Alfred says some stuff about marivael and house treafisk
Cyneweard ‘offers’ job to find out about the people in the wagon
Westleigh heals an earl’s man’s leg.

Great food and important tasks

The table is set at the end of the day and the whole village gathers for the feast. Halsa, Jacob, Goenall, and Westleigh are given seats of honor by Lord Cyneweard and awarded the prize of a sword for their victory. The group decides to take the worth of the sword instead and evenly split the prize money between them, earning them each 25 Frost Doals. Lord Cyneweard asks how the group solved certain aspects of the hunt’s puzzles, seeking out who had what strengths and how the group worked together.

The squad is about as loquacious as everyone expected them to be. Jacob tells Lord Cyneweard about the boar they ran into and he is excited to organize a hunting party for the next day.

As for the rest of the day’s festivities, Odreck won Best Sheep and Andrid won Best Cabbage. It is unknown who was awarded the giant wheel of cheese.

The winning group retires to the hospitality house (courtesy of Lord Cynewear) where Jacob and Halsa plan how to spend their winnings.

The morning after, the team is gathered to explain the origin of the baby found during the Great Hunt. The kids hem and haw and rely on Cruach for what information they’re allowed to divulge. The Lord is unsurprisingly interested in this story and asks them to return to the swamp to investigate further as well as give any necessary rites to the remaining dead woman. Westleigh comes along to assure that a priest of the Faith could offer whatever religious duties might be required of him.

Halsa, Jacob, Goenall, and Westleigh sit at the end of the table.Lord cyneweard asks how we solved riddles
Lord calls chupie a bear
Odreck won best sheep competition
Andrid won best cabbage
Spent all night talking about selling sword
Lord asked about baby
Sell sword for 100 frost daols
Lord tells us to learn about ghost woman

Swamp of sadness

Eventually the team is lead into the swampy marshes. This is the site of the Halfbridge, where a noble lord once attempted to build a bridge and was beset by bad luck and setbacks until he gave up. The water level is high and the team carefully picks their way over the unstable ground until Jacob sets his staff on a woman’s dead body.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, they also spot a basket floating on the water beneath the half-finished bridge. Goenall gathers his courage and climbs the bridge to free the basket so it floats down to where Halsa can collect it. Lord Cyneweard’s banner is also there, but honestly who cares because there was a baby in the basket.

Halsa immediately sets to tending its needs as the baby is very weak and near death. When the team tries to leave the swamp to get the baby to safety, they are stopped by a spectral woman who clearly claims the child as hers. Halsa tries to explain how the baby desperately needs care but the woman refuses to listen to reason. The woman attempts to stroke the baby’s cheek fondly and is confused when the baby screams in pain; her fingers are so cold that they have burned the baby’s delicate skin. She orders Halsa to touch the child and watches as Halsa’s touch brings no harm.

Through a show of compassion and intelligence (some would say luck and panic), Halsa is able to put the spectral woman to peace, and the body is dislodged so it can go downriver and rejoin with nature. The team rushes as best they can to exit the swamp and run back to Stamford. Elfeda and Aelferyd are summoned to help the baby, everybody gets a stiff drink, and the “not an actual druid” contingency gets sent back to town. Halsa, Jacob, and Goenall present the banner to Lord Cyneweard to his congratulations, get the more important congratulatory bath, and are prepared for the night’s feast and celebration.

Attempt to cross marsh, to get to the remaining part of halfbridge

Jacob pokes for safe places with staff and leads the way. Disturbs a wisp

Epic scavanger hunt

The Summer Solstice games! One of the best days of the year, and this year the village will be visited byLord Cyneweard himself. The kind Lord arrives with a wagon full of prizes as well as the rules for this year’s games. Each team will have to work together to find his banner that has been hidden somewhere in Stamford. The winning team earns seats near the head of the table as well as a very nice sword.

The game starts, and team Blue Stone sets off to the various village elders for clues (Westleigh has better tasks to attend to and declines to partake). Goenall gets a soaking for his attempts to ask the ornery Osmand, but they are able to find elders with riddles that lead them around town. A cup of bones points them to the river, and no one questions how that works.

Goenall hear’s what sounds like someone being murdered in the woods, which (we think) turned out to be a crow playing tricks. The crow seems to take a shine to the team, however, and leads them to a long length of rope with a weight on one end. After much deliberation as to whether it is a “clue” or “tool”, the team takes the rope.

The clues lead to the river, where a clue has been stashed in rocks surrounded by fast running currents. Jacob wades in with the rope tied around him for safety and retrieves the next clue: a twig from a tree, a blue flower, and a cattail. Halsa figures out that the only place to have all three of these types of flora would be the swamp and the group heads out.

Poor people village

Welcome to Stamford! It’s the place you were most likely born in, the place you intend to live in, and the place you’ll die in. Unless of course you’re Westleigh, who arrived in town just last night with a fire in his heart, two willing hands, and an eager mind to spread the word of the True and Righteous God among these benighted heathens.

Westleigh safely arrives at the village and spends a quiet night before heading out to find Yorfrick, the priest who had been assigned to Stamford and really should have gotten the ball rolling by now, but hasn’t. Westleigh meets young shepherd Jacob and is given a “tour” of the village to help him find his way around. Turns out the proper temple and Yorfrick‘s house are locked (thus enacting 100% of Stamford’s door-locking abilities) and he is told to wait until noon.

Westleigh also meets Aelferyd, who is the village’s Demorthen. Aelferyd is elderly and frail in body, but strong in mind and backhanded insults. He gives Westleigh a blue stone to assign him to a team for the day’s Summer Solstice games.

Turns out Jacob is also on team Blue Stone. Jacob is of few words but seems to help out where he can. His dog, Chupi, stays close to his side.

Goenall has also arrived for the day’s game and is on team Blue Stone as well. Amazing odds, isn’t it?

The team is rounded out by Halsa, student of Aelferyd. She is busy making sure that everyone is where they should be when they should be.